Where do the little people come from E-Book

Martin Sieber

• Herausgeber: novum publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 380

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Aliens have landed on the moon and want to explore planet Earth. In the process, they discover strange objects that have arms and legs like themselves and move nimbly. There are also very small specimens of these objects, which two explorers are particularly interested in. The two of them manage to make contact with a human, albeit in a forbidden way. Chris helps them to understand the language and life of humans. Is there a possible relationship to them? The humans realize that the aliens are at a much higher level of technology. However, they also recognize that they have abilities that aliens do not have, such as the vast dimensions of various emotions  including love and freedom, self-awareness, intuition, the sense of community, moral judgment, the closeness to god, and more. Finally, the aliens land on Earth, where tumultuous scenes ensue. Aliens and humans alike realize that they are inadequately prepared for such a situation. Can there be a friendly, peaceful encounter.

Leseprobe

Part IFirst explorations of "Mission Earth"1. The first meeting 2. The geography exploration station is perplexed 3. Living beings recognized 4. Should a drone land on earth? 5. Confiscate a flying object?Part IIReorientation of the management6. The management puts the brakes on the Explorer's brash approach 7. Explorer 7 and 8 are thoughtful 8. Communication, space and time become important 9. Interesting facts from the "communication exploration station" 10. The idea of space and time becomes more concrete 11. Can humans steer cars? 12. New meeting: More interest in people 13. How are little people born? Part IIILife in the country14. New meeting: animals are to be observed 15. How are small animals born? 16. Criticism of the observation of animals 17. First a "Hurray!", then the scolding! 18. Apologies to Captain Brown. - The "stick theory" 19. Criticism of the management - transfer to people? 20. Birth of a little person and doubts 21. Copulations also in humans? 22. Assessment by the management and awardsPart IVThe turning point: The forbidden path23. A delicate project 24. The quantum leap: the connection to Farmer Chris 25. "You will never really understand people!" 26. Of colors and happiness 27. The explorers learn to recognize feelings 28. Do humans have a consciousness and a self? And the Explorer? 29. Betty talks about God, hope, love and war 30. Betty's contacts with Jesus and Mother Mary 31. Where do the Explorers come from?Part VThe permitted way32. An ingenious idea 33. Transparent contact with Farmer Bill 34. Abandonment of "Mission Earth"?Part VIThe bizarre in the history of the Explorer35. Visit from Commander C3 36. A sad story of the aliensPart VIIIs contact with people failing?37. Captain Brown plans to land on earth 38. A joyful meeting 39. Uncertainty on earth 40. Landing successful, but turmoil on the ground41. Consequences of landing on earth

Foreword

The aliens who have "gained a foothold" in this solar system speak a language that only they understand. No one in the solar system has ever had contact with them. The human language is used in this report to describe the processes, observations and thoughts of the alien beings.

Part IFirst explorations of "Mission Earth"

1. The first meeting

The newly appointed leader of "Mission Earth", Captain Brown, prepares to open the first meeting with his future team, which consists of over a dozen explorers, all with specialized training. Also present are his colleagues from the leadership team and Commander C3. They are gathered in the large conference room of the "Mission Earth" space station, which has recently landed on Earth's moon. They are discussing the Explorers' plan to explore planet S3, which is the third planet in the solar system(in human terms, it is planet Earth). The Explorers belong to the group of extraplanetary beings who call themselves "Titanians" because they believe that their ancestors lived on a large base on the moon called "Titan". This moon is very large and belongs to planet S6, the sixth planet in the solar system(planet Saturn).However, they originally came from an exoplanet in a much more distant solar system.

Captain Brown appears calm as ever, not a trace of nervousness, but he is aware that this is a special day; everyone's attention is focused on him. It's his first mission and he's determined to make it a success. Not least because of his possible promotion to Commander if "Mission Earth" is successful. This would allow him to become a member of the Central Council, a considerable step up from his current position. He is positive about the chances of this. But even more important for him is the fascinating challenge that will arise if he is given permission to land on Earth and then, as head of Mission Earth, the events on the ground will be entirely in his hands.

He was able to choose his employees for Mission Earth himself and they will start work according to his instructions. Only he will be able to determine who makes contact with living beings, if any, and how.

However, he is also aware that he could be removed as head of Mission Earth if the mission does not take the desired course. At the large Explorer base station, which is located on the planet Mars together with the Central Council, there are experienced Explorers who would like to take on this task. Then he is also not sure whether there are members of his leadership team who would follow in his footsteps without hesitation. Captain Brown begins in his usual matter-of-fact tone:

"Hello everyone from Mission Earth!"

"I would like to welcome the leadership and the assembled explorers of the new 'Mission Earth' and especially our guest, Commander C3, who will be bringing us an important message from the Central Council on the Mars base. We here are pleased to be able to embark on this mission after a long break, and on a planet that may be of great interest to us.

We all applied for 'Mission Earth' and were selected at the end of a long selection process. This motivates us to do our best to make the mission a success. Previous explorations of other planets have revealed their geology and, rarely, their life forms. All this has led to new insights that are very useful. I hope and am confident that this will also be the case with 'Mission Earth'. I now hand over to Commander C3, who has a lot to say to us as the representative of the Central Council."

Commander C3 stands up and moves forward to Captain Brown. He looks a little hesitant, thoughtful, in contrast to Captain Brown, not very enthusiastic. It seems as if something is weighing him down. He undoubtedly has the most experience of all. This and his seriousness have made him a respected commander. That was also the reason why the Central Council had approached him to lead "Mission Earth", but he declined. Commander C3 noticed the disappointed reaction to his refusal and therefore offered to act as a liaison between the Central Council and the head of "Mission Earth", which was gratefully accepted.

"Hello Captain Brown and leadership team, hello Explorers of Mission Earth," he begins. "As a member of the Central Council, I bring you our best regards today to all members of 'Mission Earth' and explain to you why this mission is important to the Central Council, what your mission is and what regulations you must comply with. Captain Brown will then inform you in more detail about the technical support.

First of all, the significance of 'Mission Earth': the Central Council, stationed on Mars, has become aware of planet Earth. We would like to find out more about this planet. Initial observations have shown that there are certain biosignatures and presumably moving objects on Earth whose movements indicate a certain intelligence. Analyses of the Earth's atmosphere have shown that it contains tiny particles that point to possible life. The Earth orbits at a favorable distance from the sun, not too close but also not too far away, favorable because the emergence of life is therefore possible. It could be that certain creatures have the ability to develop and survive on the planet. The Central Council would like to explore this further with the help of 'Mission Earth'. However, the exploration of Earth must be carried out carefully. For the time being, we must strictly avoid any living creatures on Earth, if there are any, noticing our activities. We must also protect ourselves from possible dangers, such as cosmic background radiation."

What he does not mention is a discovery made by colleagues on the Mars base, which the Central Council was recently informed about. The Mars base picked up a small flying object, a kind of space probe with a golden plate mounted on the outside. The plate was engraved with strange signs indicating the existence of intelligent beings.(It was the "Golden Records", a kind of galactic message in a bottle, which Voyager 1 and 2 carried into space in 1977).The flying object with the record was intercepted by a space shuttle and transported to the Mars base in order to decode the engraved message, which was not successful. However, it appears that the signs originate from intelligent beings, perhaps from Earth. This reinforces the intention that "Mission Earth" should not be recognized.

"It's probably the last mission," he continues, "that the Central Council will carry out with us explorers. Future landings on Earth or on other planets will then be carried out with highly intelligent, thinking robots, the DERO, which are equal or even superior to us in such explorations and learn very quickly. At present, however, the development of these thinking robots has not yet reached that stage. In order to better prepare them for the requirements, the findings of 'Mission Earth', i.e. from all of you, are essential. If, after a long preparatory phase, it is now a matter of landing and thoroughly exploring the Earth, it is essential that there is an excellent and fast connection between the control center and the landed explorers on Earth, and the connection to Mars is highly unsuitable for this because it is much too slow. However, the Earth's moon offers us an ideal position for a base because it is very close to the Earth and the delay in transmitting information is minimal."

Commander C3 continues: "Now to the current situation here on the moon: astronomers at the Mars base recently informed us of a phenomenon whereby the moon only ever faces one side of the Earth and the other side cannot be observed from Earth. This allows us to set up the base of 'Mission Earth' on the far side of the moon, which is the starting point for the explorations.

The Central Council has therefore placed the 'RS Mission Earth' space station on the far side of the moon, where we have gathered today. It will remain stationed here until the end of 'Mission Earth'. However, we are able to change this location at any time. The various exploration station teams that are still being formed are located near the space station."

"Now to the mission: The Central Council would like to obtain information and knowledge about the following: Energy sources, raw materials and possible living beings as well as their abilities and intelligence. And of course we would like to know whether a landing on planet Earth would be an asset or a threat to us, where the landing could take place and where a base can be established."

To spur on the Explorers, he adds:

"If individual Explorers of yours uncover particularly important observations and insights, they may be lucky enough to receive an award. The management collects these findings and will periodically determine the winners of this award and announce them at the meetings."

Commander C3 makes the following, not unimportant comment: "One more thing about the awards for special achievements: If the Earth mission is successful and a landing has been made, then the question arises of suitable explorers who will monitor an area assigned to them and carry out the exploration tasks there. These explorers will be promoted to district administrators, and special achievement awards will certainly play a role in this promotion."

In a more serious tone, he continues: "And now for the regulations:

Due to previous missions, the Central Council has to issue a prohibition that is very important and affects all explorers: landing on Earth and direct contact with possible inhabitants is forbidden unless Captain Brown permits or orders it. These prohibitions are intended to prevent unexpected complications from arising. This ban applies until the Central Council announces a change. Compliance with these prohibitions is monitored by the management. Violations will result in removal from the team and loss of Explorer status."

What Commander C3 does not mention are the Central Council's considerations regarding a landing on Earth. He sees not only its great benefits, but also possible dangers for the explorers and "Mission Earth" as soon as they set foot on the ground. There are various dangers: contamination with microorganisms, dangerous cosmic background radiation, the uncertainty of contact with any living creatures and others. That is why landing with one of their thinking robots (DERO) is also under discussion. Commander C3 does not comment on this either. The DERO are now so advanced in their intelligence, capabilities and communication skills that they are equal to the Explorers in many respects, and in some cases even superior. You can give them an assignment, which they tackle very carefully and immediately provide feedback on what they are doing, what they see, whether everything is going smoothly or where there are difficulties. They even give feedback on how they are feeling.

These DEROs would land on Earth in a space shuttle and carry out the planned explorations, then re-board and undergo a total clean-up in the entry airlock during the return flight. During the entire phase, they would be in constant contact with the base, which would follow and record all steps. In an extreme emergency situation, the robot and the space shuttle could be destroyed. This would be a smaller loss than if explorers were involved.

However, one problem with the DERO, these thinking robots, is that they sometimes behave strangely and idiosyncratically in new, unfamiliar situations, and are even unpredictable. This could become a problem when they encounter unknown creatures and their learned behavior is no longer adequate. Another problem is communicating with these unknown beings. The DERO only know the language of the explorers.

Commander C3 also fails to mention that an artificial Earth surface is to be recreated in a laboratory on the Mars base, where the DERO will be confronted with unfamiliar situations. Furthermore, a vehicle is to be developed that can move on the Earth's surface. However, as it is uncertain what "unfamiliar situations" look like, more needs to be known about the Earth first. The Central Council has now given the go-ahead for "Mission Earth", with the instruction to Captain Brown to obtain more information about possible moving objects and creatures before landing on Earth. He deliberately does not mention anything about these DERO considerations, not even to Captain Brown. He wouldn't appreciate it if it wasn't him and his crew who could touch down on Earth first, but a robot that is supposedly very intelligent. That's why Commander C3 holds back on this matter and approaches Captain Brown. He continues:

"I now hand the floor back to Captain Brown, who will take charge of everything else. I am confident that 'Mission Earth' will be a success and I have every confidence in your commitment and loyalty to Captain Brown and the leadership team. On behalf of the Central Council, I thank you for this."

He goes to his seat, but turns around again and says: "And one more important thing: You will have a rather tedious time at the beginning and will need a lot of patience and confidence not to give up during the long, often fruitless observations. It can be very boring, I'm sure of that. It only becomes more interesting with time, when individual observations are linked together and connections are recognized, resulting in the first "aha" moments. But first you need patience and confidence. That's what I wish you."

The Explorers present tap their right foot on the floor, making a special sound that is considered a sign of recognition and appreciation. Captain Brown then takes the floor again:

"Now some more information. Today we will be setting up two reconnaissance stations operating in two different areas. More will follow later, as required. These two exploration stations are also located on the far side of the moon. The management of Mission Earth will work here in the spacious 'Space Station Earth'. The management will deal with infrastructure and logistics, the functionality of us explorers and, of course, the organization of 'Mission Earth' after a possible landing and much more. We have a small spacecraft at our disposal for visits to the individual exploration stations, as well as a digital assistant and robots and drones for our own tasks. The second large space station, which landed on the moon at the same time as us, is very important. It is planned to land on Earth and is equipped accordingly. At the moment, it is still crammed with digital assistants, robots and other devices that we need.

Each exploration station is mobile and has three rooms: one for work, one for synchronization with the central control unit and the energy supply, and the third is the rest room, where we can switch to rest mode and thus also save energy. All exploration stations also have a digital assistant at their disposal. This is an unnamed, small spacecraft with propulsion, camera, telescope, robot and drone and is controlled by the explorers. Its images from Earth are transmitted to the exploration station to which it belongs.

Here in the space station there is also a reception station for colleagues whose function is impaired or who have suffered damage or injuries. There is also a repair department for all technical equipment and a storage room. I have some good news to tell you about the maintenance of this equipment: Two equipment specialists have been assigned to us. They recently landed here from the Mars base station, along with the latest equipment, which is now also available to us. Like us, the two explorers have completed their training on the Mars base and have now been assigned to 'Mission Earth'. I would like to welcome them. They will be working here on the space station and looking after all our equipment. I ask the two new explorers to put their hands up so that they can be recognized."

He continues: "You heard it from Commander C3: The Central Council is very interested in 'Mission Earth'. But it is also important that there are no complications. Technically, we will be equipped with the best devices for our tasks and, just as importantly, with the best IT specialists. We will be able to use our most sensitive recording devices and have fast computers with large storage capacity so that we can create and analyze many recordings. For the time being, we have to limit ourselves to observation, which severely restricts our options, but that's the way it is. As you know, landing on Earth is not currently under discussion.

As already mentioned, it is important to us that intelligent objects on Earth cannot recognize us. We therefore remain stationed with our exploration stations on the far side of the Earth's moon. As the moon always has the same side facing the Earth, the far side of the moon is the ideal place for us. With the small, unmanned digital assistants, equipped with telescopes and robots, we can move flexibly in the space in front of the moon and take pictures from different locations. However, our digital assistants should keep a sufficient distance from Earth to avoid being detected.

Following this meeting, we will allocate three explorers to each of the two new exploration stations. They will inform me and the management directly about their work. What remains to be done is for all the explorers to take the oath of office and declare that they will carry out their duties to the best of their knowledge and in accordance with the mission. Commander C3 has already pointed out that landing and contact with any living beings on Earth may only take place with permission. The following must also be observed: All important occurrences and discoveries are to be reported to me and the Central Control Body ZKO. All explorers will regularly connect to the ZKO for data exchange and also carry out their functional checks. In the event of problems, the repair department must be consulted. All explorers must also regularly dispose of the waste products accumulated in their bodies. A special connection is available in each exploration station for this purpose. You are familiar with this process.

In order to make 'Mission Earth' a success, we must adhere to certain rules. Meetings with other Explorers are only permitted if they are about the assignments given. In terms of communication, all Explorers are allowed freedom of expression as long as it is about work and assignments. Personal comments and assessments about colleagues or the management are not welcome. Any problems or complaints must be addressed exclusively to me. All messages, remarks, comments, result protocols and the like are stored in the ZKO and can be viewed by the management. This also applies to all verbal information. Explorers are encouraged to keep a personal diary. However, this can also be viewed by the management. I would now ask everyone to line up to take the oath."

The Explorers hurry through this line-up. It is a line-up of almost identical looking specialists, all more or less the same size and wearing the same clothes. The exceptions are one Explorer, who is significantly smaller than the others, and another who is taller. Their designation, consisting of a number, is fixed to the front of their chests. Captain Brown continues:

"At the swearing-in ceremony, each and every one of you declares that you will carry out the tasks assigned to you to the best of your knowledge and in accordance with the order. He says 'Yes, I do' loudly and clearly, raises his right hand in the air and touches his forehead with his left hand."

Captain Brown now stands in front of the first Explorer in the line and speaks loudly: "Do you want to carry out the tasks assigned to you to the best of your knowledge and true to the order?" He then waits for the answer "Yes, I will" and moves on to the next person and so on until everyone has said "yes".

After this ceremony, Commander C3 takes his leave and then the announced assignment of the explorers to the two exploration stations, each with three explorers, takes place. These explorers are also assigned a number to distinguish them.(As the numbering system of the explorers differs from the human numbering system, the human numbering system is used here).The numbering is consecutive and starts at 1:

Exploration station "ES-Geography" (ES-Geo) of the earth:

Assignment: Explorer 1, 2 and 3. exploration tasks: possible landing sites for landing on Earth, ground conditions, raw materials, energy sources, possible problems during approach and after landing that need to be taken into account. Distance of the Earth from the Moon, from Mars, duration of an orbit of the Earth around the Sun. Furthermore: own exploration activities at the discretion of the Explorer.

Exploration station "ES Moving Objects" (ES-BO):

Assignment: Explorer 4, 5 and 6 Tasks: What types of living beings, of moving objects are there? Frequency, function, skills, stage of development. What significance do they have for the Explorers? Furthermore: own exploration activities at the Explorer's discretion.

Captain Brown continues:

"I have selected three specialists for the ES-Geo who have received the appropriate training." He calls them up and asks them to step forward. They are now given the following designations: "Explorer 1 ES-Geo", "Explorer 2" and "Explorer 3" respectively. He then attaches the magnificent name badge with the new designation to the chest of the explorers. The same procedure is followed for the three Explorers at the ES-BO exploration station, Explorer 4, 5 and 6.

"The explorers of the two newly formed exploration stations have an exploration station at their disposal, from where they work and have to connect regularly with the central control body ZKO. As for the explorers who have not yet been assigned, they are in reserve. More exploration stations will soon be set up to obtain more information about the Earth. Until then, these explorers should familiarize themselves with the new equipment, expand their IT skills and go through the exercises with the exam questions."

"I will now close this meeting and wish everyone a good start. Mission Earth begins now, right now! And even if we are not in the bright sunlight, but in the dark, our work will still continue. So let's get to work!"

The Explorers tap their feet appreciatively on the floor and leave the conference room. One of them remarks that he didn't understand the reference to light and dark.

2. The geography exploration station is perplexed

The three Explorers 1, 2 and 3 of the ES-Geo exploration station prepare their digital assistant for observing the Earth and control the drive, the controls, the cameras and the built-in telescope. It is the first time they have worked together, which is no problem for them because they know that all three want to tackle the job together and do it satisfactorily for the management. Like the vast majority of Explorers, they are very fact-oriented. Opinions are expressed unemotionally and decisions are objectively justified.

Everything seems to be working with the apparatuses. Now the digital assistant should start taking pictures of the Earth. Explorer 3 asks: "Where above the Earth and at what distance do we want to place the digital assistant?" Explorer 1 says that you should first park it on the lunar surface facing the Earth and start taking pictures. The other two nod in agreement.

Now they start the drive of their unmanned digital assistant, switch on the cameras and steer it to the far side of the moon, which is dimly lit by the sun. The images from Earth are relayed to the explorers in the ES-Geo, stationed behind the moon. The three are astonished by what they see. They have never seen the Earth so precisely before. But their astonishment is barely noticeable. It merely manifests itself in a glance at their neighbor, who reacts with a brief nod of the head. Showing astonishment is not their strong point, but neither is that of the other explorers.

However, the image of the earth is not quite optimal because only one side of the earth is brightly lit. It is the side facing the sun. The other side is dark and nothing can be seen. However, the explorers are familiar with this from other planets, where only one side is illuminated by the sun.

During their observations, they were able to recognize certain contours, a kind of drawing, on the earth's surface after a certain time. They therefore began to draw a "map". One area in particular stood out, which has the shape of a "boot" with a high heel and looks like a "leg". They could easily recognize this "boot" on the photos.

Explorer 1 suddenly speaks up with a strong voice: "Something strange is happening: At first the boot was clearly visible, then it slowly shifted into the dark part of the Earth and finally it disappeared completely; that's very strange! Instead, new parts of the earth became visible. After a long interruption, the boot reappeared, fortunately! My guess is that the Earth is rotating on its own axis."

Explorer 3 is also perplexed: "This is new to me. I thought the Earth didn't revolve around itself, only around the sun. The good thing for us is that these phases from light to dark and back to light don't last very long."

(The explorers use a special term in their own language for a rotation of the earth on its own axis. It means something like "light-dark unit". We use the term "day" here, for the orbit of the earth around the sun the term "year").

The explorers now want to observe the Earth from a better position. To do this, they steer their digital assistant into the space between the sun and the earth in such a way that the earth is fully exposed. Based on their observations, they determine the following: there are three dominant light-dark differences on the Earth's surface: light, gray and dark. At the poles, there are large areas that are bright. This is probably a white rock that can also be found on the moon and other planets. A landing would be possible here.

The gray areas may be a substrate on which vegetation can develop. These areas are therefore of particular interest to the explorers. They are areas that are often criss-crossed by thin, black "veins" that all extend in the direction of the large black areas and also become wider(rivers).Explorer 2 believes that these huge dark areas could be highly interesting raw materials.

Along the black veins there are often gray areas consisting of many rectangular patches. This is peculiar because they are very regularly shaped rectangular patches, which is unusual. There are often several rectangular patches that are exactly the same size. They have never observed anything like this on other planets or on the moon. What could it be? The explorers would like to make further observations.

In the space above the Earth, but at a considerable distance, numerous small, meteor-like bodies have been detected orbiting the Earth. There are also bodies which, strangely enough, move exactly synchronously with the Earth. They do not burn up, which suggests that they are not meteorites. But what then?

On the question of where on Earth the explorers could land, they concentrate on the subsurface in various places so that they can submit suitable landing sites to Captain Brown. At the next meeting, they also want to find out why it has been getting darker and darker on the far side of the moon recently. When they first landed on the moon, the ground was brightly lit. Now everything is gray and increasingly dark.

3. Living beings recognized

Before the three Explorers 4, 5 and 6 from the ES "Moving Objects" exploration station begin their work, Captain Brown explains the mission to them. He goes into great detail and begins: "If there were intelligent beings on Earth that are of interest to us explorers or pose a threat, they would be beings that can move and, if possible, advance into space. That's why moving objects, especially intelligent moving objects, are a priority for observation. We recognize intelligent movements by the fact that their movements show a regular pattern in terms of location, time and speed. So they are not just random movements."

"The management," he continued, "is therefore interested in the intelligent moving objects, how often they occur, how fast they move and over what distances. How are they powered and controlled? In general, it's about an initial assessment of the capabilities and intelligence of these objects, their benefits and their potential dangers for us explorers. However, this cannot be answered at this stage because we first need to acquire detailed knowledge. For us and for you, this means: observe, observe and observe again. That is my concern and my mission to you, indeed to all of you."

The three explorers have understood this and are just waiting to finally start observing. From their exploration station behind the moon, they direct their unmanned digital assistant to the front of the moon, where it lands. Its telescope is pointed at the Earth and magnificent images of the Earth are taken, which the three explorers marvel at just as much as their ES-Geo colleagues.

Explorer 6 now gets in touch: "I suggest leaving the stationary location for further images and ascending from the moon in order to be more flexible when taking images. We will also be closer to the Earth and will be able to capture smaller objects better."

"Yes, good idea," says Explorer 4, "but we still have to stay close to the moon, as instructed. I'm looking forward to seeing the images, the digital assistant has a good telescope and we can transmit the images to our exploration station and enlarge them there."

During the intensive observations that have now begun, the three explorers were able to establish after a long period of observation that there are five different types of moving objects on Earth. Explorer 6 reports what he finds impressive. "I like the large elongated formations that look like an elongated rectangular line. I give them the provisional name 'long moving objects'(type 1). They are clearly visible on the earth's surface, start moving slowly and stop again after a while, sometimes covering longer distances. Their movement is quite uniform and they give the impression of moving on a kind of 'track'. The variability of their behavior is not particularly great, but their length is impressive. At the places from which these objects depart, but also at the destinations, there is often a collection of large, rectangular bodies, a kind of center."

Explorer 4 continues: "If you use the name 'Moving objects long',then I would like to draw attention to small, rectangular bodies and give them the name 'Moving objects short'(type 2). They are extremely common, reach a considerable speed and are able to stop again in a short time. In contrast to the 'long moving objects', they are much more agile and 'headstrong', as they suddenly turn left or right. They come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes. Most of them use a track prepared for them with straight stretches and curves. In the centers, the curves are tight, outside they are long. That looks quite impressive."

Explorer 5 pushes forward: "If you are talking about imposing curves, then I must draw your attention to objects that move in much larger curves. I call them 'flying moving objects' or 'flying objects' (type 3),whose size lies between the two types mentioned. The special feature is their ability to take off from the earth's surface and move in space above the earth, and at a much higher speed than all the others. The wonderful curves they perform are particularly beautiful. These flying objects are able to cover great distances in a short time before landing on the ground again. They move neither on rails nor on runways, but are autonomous objects that can move freely in space. I have footage and you will be amazed. For me, they are without doubt intelligent moving objects."

Explorer 4 switches on again: "When I observed the 'Moving objects short', I noticed small objects that were always close to them. They could also be seen where the 'moving objects long' had stopped, i.e. in the large centers. On the images they appear either as a dot or, when viewed from the side, as a line. I suggest that they be called 'line objects'(type 4). They are smaller than the 'moving objects short', narrow and very mobile. When the telescope is perpendicular to the earth, these 'line objects' appear as dots. If the angle of incidence is not vertical but inclined, the dots become lines, hence 'line objects'. Their true shape is more like a line than a dot. This is also indicated by the shadow image."

Explorer 4 adds: "They are simply lines that move. These line objects can be found almost everywhere on earth, but are extremely common in clusters of rectangular buildings(houses), i.e. in the centers. They cannot move so quickly. Their movements often have something purposeful and uniform about them and they appear to have legs and arms. This is particularly noticeable in the centers, where many stick objects move purposefully in the same direction. Because they have a similarity to our robots, you could also call them 'stick robots'."

Explorer 6 claims to have observed other objects. "I have often observed the 'long moving objects' and their journeys out of the centers onto the land. I have seen various types of moving objects that are more voluminous than the line robots, some larger, some smaller. Their bodies are more rounded and not upright, as with the line robots. They are not as numerous and, above all, are not to be found in the centers, but in the countryside. As a rule, they move at about the same speed as the line robots, but some objects are also significantly faster and, unlike the line robots, they are practically never observed in the vicinity of other moving objects. Their movements are hardly ever purposeful. I would describe them as 'round objects' (type 5)."

This is followed by an exchange about the characteristics of the five types. The two Explorers 5 and 6 find that the flying objects are the most advanced objects of all five types. They also bear a certain resemblance to their spacecraft. "We should take a closer look at them," remarks Explorer 5. Explorer 6 is enthusiastic about the 'Moving Objects Long' because they traverse the earth's furrowed surface so precisely. There is hardly any interest in the line objects or line robots and round objects.

Explorer 6 has one concern: "I wish that the digital assistants could be brought much closer to Earth. Being closer to Earth would allow better images to be taken of the line robots and round objects, but also of the other objects." Explorer 5 responds positively: "We could put this request to Captain Brown. Perhaps he will agree. Then we should also find out from him which moving objects we should observe as a priority. After all, we can't observe all five types of moving objects at the same time with one telescope." Explorer 4 nods in agreement.

An unexpected discovery, first made by Explorer 6, really irritated the three explorers. These are images from their telescope, which is stationary on the front of the moon: "You see: the part of the earth that is brightly illuminated by the sun has become smaller. It gets a little smaller every day. At first I didn't believe my observations, but then, as this bright part of the Earth became even smaller on subsequent days, I became certain. I'm afraid that in a few days we won't see anything of the Earth at all. How can we observe the Earth if it disappears?"

And he continues: "I got in touch with my colleagues at ES-Geo, who know more about the planets. Explorer 2 explained to me that the Earth had not disappeared, it was just showing its dark side to the moon, i.e. to us. The other side is still illuminated by the sun. We would have to be patient, the Earth would reappear."

Explorer 5 remarks: "I don't quite understand why the Earth disappears and then reappears. But what interests me more is the question of when we will see the Earth again? It could be a long time before we can observe it again in full light, so I'm getting bored. I don't understand why we can't just land on Earth. I'd certainly be up for it and we'd make faster progress."

Explorer 4: "It's not so clear to me either. But apparently that's not what they want. Commander C3 has expressly banned us from landing."

And Explorer 5 adds: "The ban is very important to him. Do you remember how we all had to swear individually that we would abide by the rules? That ceremony with the 'swearing in' was quite excessive."

"Yes, I agree," says Explorer 4, "unless there's something very serious behind it that they don't want us to know about."

"There's something else," he continues, "that could save us the boring wait. The colleague from ES-Geo has recommended that we move our digital assistant in space and position it so that it captures the Earth from the illuminated side again. Then we could continue our observations. I think that's a good idea." The two colleagues nod in agreement. "But I would like an explanation for the disappearance of the Earth, and for a longer period of time," remarks Explorer 5.

4. Should a drone land on earth?

Captain Brown opens the meeting again in the presence of all the explorers, the management and Commander C3 on the "Mission Earth" space station. He outlines the course of the meeting in advance.

"Hello everyone! Welcome to our meeting," he begins. "As head of 'Mission Earth', I will report on current observations and also include feedback from the management team. As you know, all your important findings must be reported to headquarters immediately. The management team will then compile the updated findings on 'Mission Earth', which will be available to all of us. However, uncertain findings, assumptions or interpretations will not be included. If individual Explorers have questions, suggestions or simply comments, please let me know directly via the usual channels.

For the current meeting, I now invite the explorers of the two new exploration stations to report on their work. The geography exploration station is to begin."

Explorer 1 of the ES-Geo begins: "The first surprise for us was when we realized that the Earth rotates on its axis. We hadn't expected that. Certain easily recognizable regions were suddenly only partially visible, then not at all, and later they reappeared. So the Earth is rotating on its own axis, just as we know it from the planet Mars."

Captain Brown: "This is important for us, this rotation of the Earth with the light and dark phases. If we are going to land on Earth, we need to know how long this dark phase lasts. Have you been able to find out by now?" Explorer 2 answers: "According to our time measurement, the Earth's own rotation is almost the same length as that of Mars, which is known to us." "Good," remarks Captain Brown, "now we know what to expect on Earth. We have to expect that it will get dark after a short time and that our work will be difficult or impossible for a while."

Explorer 1 continues with the report: "Then another question arose for us: When we first landed on the moon, the ground was brightly lit. Now everything is gray and increasingly dark. Why has it become darker and darker on the far side of the moon recently?"

Captain Brown: "That will become clearer when we talk about the rotations. As we know, the moon always turns with the same side towards the Earth. From this, one could conclude that the moon does not rotate on its own axis, but remains stable. However, this is not the case. The moon also rotates. We all noticed this when it slowly became darker and darker on the far side of the moon and only after a while did it become lighter again and then completely bright. This change from light to dark also takes place on the moon, but much more slowly than on Earth or Mars. If we are in a dark phase here on the Moon, then there are 14 'Earth rotations' on Earth during this time. During a full light-dark phase on the Moon, there are 28 'Earth rotations' on Earth. When we entered a dark phase here on the moon, some of us mistakenly feared that the light would go out completely here on the moon and turned to me with concern. But, of course, this fear did not materialize."

Explorer 1 continues: "In another surprise, we and our colleagues from the ES 'Moving Objects' observed something that we also cannot explain. It is the following: At the beginning of our observations, about half of the Earth was brightly illuminated by the Sun, while the other half remained in darkness, regardless of its own rotation. After some time, we noticed that this brightly illuminated part became smaller and smaller and the Earth eventually disappeared completely. But fortunately it reappeared after a longer phase. However, we don't know why this happened."

Captain Brown continues: "The moon rotates very slowly around the earth. As a result, we only see the Earth as a full round disk on the moon when it is between the Earth and the sun and the Earth is brightly lit. If the moon has completed half a revolution of the earth, nothing of the earth is recognizable. At a quarter of an earth rotation, only a part is visible and so on. This increasing or decreasing size of the earth is of course disturbing, but we have digital assistants that we can move around in space and therefore place in a favorable position. But we can rest assured: The earth is not disappearing! It is still important for us to know how many revolutions the Earth makes on its own axis in the course of a full orbit around the sun. Based on my calculations, it is 340 revolutions. This is an initial estimate, which we will specify later. For Mars, there are almost twice as many rotations in one orbit(Martian year)."

Now Captain Brown wants the ES-Geo to report further observations. The explorers mention the following: In space very close to Earth, numerous small, meteor-like bodies have been detected orbiting Earth synchronously. They therefore always remain stationed over the same area of the Earth.(In human terms, these are geostationary satellites).It is possible that they are meteorites. But the synchronous movement is unusual for meteorites, say the explorers. But what are they then? Captain Brown comments that the management will investigate this phenomenon.

Explorers 1, 2 and 3 then want to give their recommendations for a landing based on their observations. Explorer 1 is brief: "From our point of view, a landing on the very bright areas at the poles would be realistic. To search for mineral resources, we suggest using a robot to take soil samples from the gray mass(lava from the volcanoes).As far as the large black areas(seas)are concerned, we suspect that these may be areas with important mineral resources. In our opinion, this should be explored."

Captain Brown is rather critical of this: "Landing on the white areas at the poles is certainly out of the question at the moment. There are still too many unanswered questions and the Central Council would certainly not lift the landing ban for this reason. The same applies to soil samples in the gray matter using a robot."

Captain Brown then instructs ES-Geo to create a "world map". This is a large and long-term undertaking and includes information about the continents, rocks and mineral deposits, the temperature zones and wind belts, the vegetation, the spread of moving objects and the large centers. The exploration station should take its time and get in touch when it has a first draft.